If you’re packing for a trip and realize you don’t have a 3 oz. or less tube or bottle of toothpaste, hair gel, shampoo, etc. on hand, these small (2 oz.) bottles are a terrific solution.
Sold by Detailers Paradise – and I’m sure many others – they’re a handy way to carry less than 3 oz. of gels, shampoos, and the like. They’re 5 for $3.25; here’s a direct link. They’re handy around the house and shop, as well.
Also, if you want to bring your cologne along but are worried about spillage OR the bottle’s too large, transfer a small quantity to a cologne or perfume sample size bottle. Doing so from a spray bottle into a sample bottle is not an activity to which I would apply the word “precise,” but it can be done. Have some running water nearby and wear glasses or safety goggles. I usually pack the sample size bottle in a small ziploc bag inside my quart size ziploc bag just in case any seepage occurs. Only the most obsessive-compulsive TSA agent will notice.
Happy travels!
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- Air New Zealand’s “Bare Essentials of Safety” video

May 6th, 2008 at 3:26 am
good suggestion! I cant count the times I’ve had to leave precious and expensive items just before they let me in the waiting area (some countries do that, and unfortunately for me, I’ve had to leave those nice perfumes I just bought).
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May 6th, 2008 at 5:32 pm
@ socialclimber – thanks for your comment. I took a quick peek at your blog, and Stumbled it — very neat.
-kc
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August 15th, 2008 at 11:39 am
REI is another good source for small bottles; also http://www.backpackinglight.com. Sometimes I think about recycling the “sample” or “traveler” sized bottles that shampoo etc. come in at Target, but it’s too much hassle.
A word on “spout-tip” bottles: they sometimes leak. Be sure to test them in the store before you buy them, by gently squeezing them to see if they leak the air out or hold it in, and then still don’t trust them, use a plastic baggie. Often what won’t come out in a quick test, manages to seep out in an hours long high altitude flight.
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August 19th, 2008 at 7:18 am
Michael –
Great tip and thanks for the alternate sources!
Kevin
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August 28th, 2008 at 2:05 pm
As I pack for my overseas trip, I just realized that some bottles have their capacity labeled on them and some don’t. Needless to say, I think it’s easier to deal with TSA when you have a bottle clearly labeled with its capacity in ounces.
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